A 15-YEAR-OLD boy burnt and suffering a bleed on the brain is finally recovering at home with his family thanks to medics and a charity supporting them through a nine-week nightmare.

James Jenkinson was riding an off-road mini motorbike when he crashed head-on with an Audi A3 on Hutton Avenue, in Darlington – causing his bike to burst into flames.

The driver of the car was uninjured, but James was seriously hurt in the incident at 8pm on September 1.

James’s mother, Claire Jenkinson, said: “There was a knock at the door, standing there was a police officer.

“He said that our son had been involved in a serious accident and was at the Royal Victoria Infirmary (RVI) in Newcastle – an hour away from our home in Darlington.

“Shock ran through my body. I didn’t know how to react or what to do. I was confused, scared and had no idea what to expect.

“The police kindly took me and James’ dad, Louis, to the hospital and on arrival we found out that James had been in a motorbike accident in which the bike caught fire.

“James needed an operation on his head as he had a bleed to the brain. He would also need skin grafts for the burns, but they couldn’t give us any indication as to how he would be after.”

For nine weeks, James required specialist treatment at the RVI. But despite being 35 miles away from home, the Jenkinson family were able to stay by their son’s side.

Ms Jenkinson added: “As morning broke, we were approached by a lady called Emily. She was the assistant house manager at a place called Crawford House, which is free Home from Home accommodation run by The Sick Children’s Trust.

“She told us that there was a room for us, ready and waiting, where we could get some sleep before James’ next operation to put a plate in the top of his right leg.

“Over the next nine weeks, Crawford House really did become a home from home for us. Mostly it was me and James’s dad who stayed there, with James’s younger brother Jake coming to stay on the weekends.”

James left the RVI in November, returning just once for skin grafts.

Home from Home accommodation is free, but costs the charity £30 to support a family for one night.

Crawford House manager, Gail Stonley, said: “It’s wonderful to hear that James’ recovery is going well, and we’re so pleased that we could ease some of the worries and stresses that come with having a seriously-ill child in hospital by supporting them with free Home from Home accommodation.”